Breather cap with valve depressor

ABSTRACT

In an electrical cable having an impervious sheath thereabout defining a space therebetween and a normally closed valve, a breather cap is provided. The breather cap is secured to the valve to bias the valve open so that the space within the sheath is at the same pressure as that of the ambient atmosphere surrounding the sheath. A screen is provided in the breather cap to preclude dirt from entering the valve.

United States Patent "1191 Burnell et a1.

1111 3,811,006 1451 May 14,1974

[ BREATI-IER CAP WITH VALVE DEPRESSOR [75] Inventors: Norman Burnell, Allandale; Robert A. Potruch, North Miami, both of Fla.

[73] Assignee; Lumidor Products Corp., Hialeah,

' Fla.

[22] Filed: Oct. 30, 1972 [21] Appl. No.2 302,338

52 us. c1 .Q .;174/13s,i37/232,137/550, 251/145; 174/11 R, 251/354 51 int. c1 H02g 15/00 [58] Field of Search 137/232, 233, 234, 550, 137/800; 251/145, 354; 174/10, 11, 15 C, 135

[56] References Cited UNITED STATES'PATENTS 1,754,660 4/1930 -Whipple 137/234 7/1917 Sladden 137/234 2,308,791 1/1943 Sundstrom.. 251/354 X 3,057,115 10/1962 Bilanin 137/550 X FOREIGN PATENTS OR APPLICATIONS 1,520,148 2/1968 France 174/10 Primary ExaminerHarold W. WeakIey Attorney, Agent, or Firm-Caesar, Rivise, Bernstein & Cohen 5 7] ABSTRACT In an electrical cable having an impervious sheath thereabout defining a space therebetween and a normally closed valve, a breather cap is provided. The

' breather cap is secured to the valve to bias the valve open so that the space within the sheath is at the same pressure asthat of the ambient atmosphere surrounding the sheath. A screen is provided in the breather cap to preclude dirt from entering the valve.

5 Claims, 2 Drawing Figures PATENTEDMY 141w 318 1 1.006

a/ZO Fig 1 BREATIIER CAP WITH VALVE DEPRESSOR This invention relates generally to an electrical cable having a pressure valve and more particularly to an air relief member for use in combination therewith.

Electrical cables when used outdoors are usually provided with an impervious sheathing. For example, cables of electrical .conductors utilized by the telephone companies have lead sheaths disposed thereabout. The sheath defines a space between the interior surfacethereof and the-cable disposed therein.

In some electrical applications it is desirable to pressurize the space within the interior of the sheath. To that end, a pressure valve and associated housing is provided in the sheath for communication with the space in the interior of the sheath. The valve is normally biased closed and commonly includes a valve pin or stem, which when depressed, enables a pressurized gas, e.g. air, to be supplied through the valve to the interior space in the sheathing.

In other electrical applications, a pressure differential between the space within the sheath and the ambient atmosphere surrounding the sheath is undesirable and is tobe avoided. For example, since the cable sheath is impervious, air trapped within the sheath by the valve is subjectedto expansion and contraction in accordance with the temperature of the environment about the cable. Such expansion and contraction of the air within the sheath may result in a damage to the sheath. v

To preclude such an occurrence, .it is a common practice to remove the valve assembly from the associated valve housing to provide an open aperture in the sheath and thereby enable the free intake and exhaust of air between the interior of the sheath and the surrounding environment as the temperature changes.

A cap member having a screening material therein,

sometimes called a breather cap, can be provided over the empty valve housing, i.e., the open aperture, to preclude the entrance of impurities and dirt into the interior of the sheath.

A number of drawbacks exist when utilizing the above noted approach to pressure equalization of sheathed cables. For example, the valve assembly must be physically removed from the housing. This action is both time consuming and wasteful. Furthermore, if the breather cap is accidentally or intentionally removed from the valve housing after the valve assembly itself is removed, dirt and impurities have free access to the interior of the sheath. Further still, should it be desirable to repressurize the cable, a valve assembly must be reinserted within the valve housing.

It is therefore a general object of this invention to overcome the aforementioned disadvantages inherent in prior art cable pressure equalization techniques.

It is a further object of this invention to provide a new and improved breather cap for use with a pressure valve in a sheathed electrical cable.

It is a further object of this invention to provide a breather cap for use with a pressure valve in a sheathed electrical cable which does not require the removal of.

the valve toachieve pressure equalization.

It is yet a further object of this invention to provide a breather cap for use with'a valve in a sheathed electri- These and other objects of this invention are achieved by providing a cap member for use in combination with the combination of an electrical cable having an impervious sheath thereabout, which sheath defines a space therebetween, and a normally closed valve including a stem which, when depressed, opens the valve to enable the space to be in free communication with the ambient atmosphere surrounding the outside of the sheath. The cap member is adapted for securement to the valve and for depressing the valve stem when so secured. a

Other objects and many of the attendant advantages of this invention will be readily appreciated as the same becomes better understood by reference to the following detailed description when considered in connection with the accompanying drawings wherein:

FIG. 1 is an elevational view, partially in section, of a breather cap in accordance with this invention secured to a valve housing on a sheathed cable; and

FIG. 2 is a perspective sectional view of the breather cap shown in FIG. 1.

Referring now in greater detail to the various figures of the drawing wherein like reference numerals refer to.

like parts, a'breather capembodying the invention is shown generally at 20 in FIG. 1.

As can be seen therein, cap 20 is connected to a valve housing 22. The valve housing includes a pressure valve assembly 24 disposed therein and is in turn connected to the protective sheath 26 of an electrical cable 28. The sheath is disposed about cable 28 and defines an interior space 30' therebetween.

The valve housing is tubular in shape and includes a firstexternally threaded end 32 which is screwed into athreaded opening in sheath 26 and a second externally threaded end 34, to which thebreather cap 20 is secured. The housing also includes an internally threaded portion 36. g v

The valve assembly 24 is of the conventional Schrader type and is disposed within the tubular housing 22 and connected thereto via threaded portion 36.

The valve assembly comprises, among other things, a valve pin or stem 38 which is biased upwards, i.e., away from the sheath 26, by the action of a helical spring 40.

The valve assembly is arranged to isolate the interior space 30 within the sheath 26 from the ambient environment surrounding the sheath when the valve .stem 38 is in its uppermost position. However, when the valve stem is depressed, the valve opens, thereby effectuating communication between the interior space 30 within the sheath and the ambient environment.

The interior space 30 may, if desired, be pressurized by removing the breather cap 20 and thereafter supplying a high pressure gas, e.g. air, through the valve assembly in a manner similar to that used in inflating an automobile tire.

When it is desired to equalize the pressure within the interior space, i.e., enable the interior space to be at the same pressure as volume of that of the surrounding environment so that the air disposed within the sheathing may expand and contract freely, the breather cap 20 is secured to the valve housing 22 via the externally threaded portion 34.

The breather cap basically comprises a generally cylindrical body portion or shell 42, a tubular insert 44 and an annular screen 46. i

As can be seen in FIGS. 1 and 2, shell 42 includes a flat top or end wall 48 sealing one end thereof and a stem 50, which projects away from the inside face of end wall- 48 and extends for a substantial distance axially in the bore 52 of the shell 42.

The bore 52 v is narrowest adjacent to sealed end thereof and widens adjacent the open end. Shell 50 includes a thick side wall portion 54 adjacent the wide portion of bore 52 and a thin side wall portion 56 adjacent the. narrow portion of the bore. The thin and thick side wall portions are integral with one another and define a shoulder 58 at their interface.

As can be seen, tubular insert 44 includes a tubular portion 60 having a peripheral flange 62 extending thereabout. The flange 62 includes plural apertures 64 provided theretherough and annularly thereabout and a lip 66 projecting from the plane of the flange 62 and about the periphery thereof. The outside surface of lip 66 is connected to the inside surface of the thin side wall 56 via an adhesive (not shown).

As can be seen in FIG. 2, the screen 46 is in the shape of an annular disc and is disposed and retained between shoulder 58 in the shell 42 and the flange 62 on the insert 44.

The tubular portion 60 of insert 44 includes an internally threaded portion 68 which is adapted to be screwed onto the threaded portion 32 of the valve housing 22 to thereby connect the breather cap to the valve housing 22.

. As can be seen in H6. 1, the stem 50 projects a substantial distance into the bore 52 of the shell 42. When cap member is screwed sufficiently onto the valve housing, the projecting stem 50 effectuates the depression of valve stem 38 thereby opening the valve and keeps the valve stem so depressed. Accordingly, the interior space within sheath 26 is permitted to be in free communication with the ambient environment surrounding the sheath, i.e., air surrounding the cable is enabled to enter into cap 20 via the wide mouthed end of bore 52, to pass through aperture 64 in insert member 44, through the narrower portion of the bore 52 and the valve assembly 24 to the interior of sheath 26. In a similar manner, air from the interior of the sheath is enabled to pass through valve assembly 24, through the narrower portion of bore 52, through screen 46, aperture 64 and the wider portion of the bore to the surrounding environment.

The screen 46 serves to preclude impurities and dirt from gaining access to the interior of the sheath 26.

ln accordance with the preferred embodiment of this invention, the breather cap 20 is formed of amolded, high-impact-resistent plastic material.

As should be appreciated by those skilled in the art,

the breather cap of this invention enables the valve assembly to be held open at all times that the cap is secured to the valve housing without necessitating the physical removal of the valve assembly, as is the case in the prior art, while at the same time denying access of dirt and impurities into the interior of the cable sheath. Furthermore, the breather cap can be removed to enable the interior of the sheath to be readily pressurized without changing the structure of the valve, i.e. adding a valve assembly, as would be the case in the prior art.

Without further elaboration, the foregoing will so fully illustrate my invention that others may, by applying current or future knowledge, readily adapt the same for use under various conditions of service.

What is claimed as the invention is:

l. A breather cap for use in combination with an electrical cable having an impervious sheath thereabout, which sheath defines a space therebetween, and a normally closed valve extending through said sheath and including a valve stem which, when depressed, opens the valve to enable said space to be in free communication with the ambient atmosphere surrounding the outside of said sheath, said breather cap member being securable to said valve and including a member for depressing said valve stem when so secured, said cap including an opening therein for enabling said space within said sheath to be at the pressure of the ambient atmosphere surrounding said sheath and a screen which is provided over said opening said cap being screwed onto said valve and including a tubular outside shell having a sealed end from which a stem projects and a tubular insert disposed within said shell, said insert including a threaded portion for securement to said valve and a flanged portion between said threaded portion and said shell, said flanged portion including apertures therein, said projection stem depressing said valve stem when said threaded portion of said insert is socured to said valve.

2. The breather cap as specified in claim 1 wherein said screen is replaceable.

3. The breather cap as specified in claim 1 wherein said screen is in the form of an annular disc disposed on top of said flanged portion.

4. The breather cap as specified in claim 3 wherein said tubular insert is adhesively affixed to said tubular shell.

5. The breather cap as specified in claim 4 wherein said tubular shell and said tubular insert are formed of a plastic material.

UN ITED STATES PATENT OFFICE I CERTIFICATE OF CORRECTION Patent No. 3,811,006 Dated May 14, 1974 v Lumidor Products Corporation I is certified thattan error appears in the abovei den tifi ed patent and that said Letters Patent are hereby corrected as shown vbelow:

(l) On the Title page after "Norman -Burnell: change "Allendale" to --H'allendale--.

Signed and sealed this 17th day of Deoember 1974.

(SEAL) Attest z v x iaooY 1 1. GIBSON JR. 7 K c. MARSHALL DANN Attes'ting' "Officer 9 n Commissioner of Patents UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE CERTIFICATE OF CORRECTION Patent No. 3,811,006 a Dated May 14, 1974 Lumidor Products Corporation It is certified that an error appears in the aboveidentified patent and that said Letters Patent are hereby corrected as shown below:

(1) .On the Title page after "Norman Burnell: change "Allendale" to -H'allendale--.

Signed and sealed this 17th day of December 1974.

(SEAL) Attesc MCCOY M. GIBSON JR. v c. MARSHALL DANN Attesting' Officer Commissioner of Patents 

2. The breather cap as specified in claim 1 wherein said screen is replaceable.
 3. The breather cap as specified in claim 1 wherein said screen is in the form of an annular disc disposed on top of said flanged portion.
 4. The breather cap as specified in claim 3 wherein said tubular insert is adhesively affixed to said tubular shell.
 5. The breather cap as specified in claim 4 wherein said tubular shell and said tubular insert are formed of a plastic material. 